GRIFFITHS VALUATION OF THE BORO ROAD

LORD MASSEY AND THE TENANTS OF ANGLESBORO

The people of the Boro Road Anglesboro and Lackendarragh.

The journey from the village of Anglesboro to Kilbehenny along the Boro Road is as beguiling as any you'll find in Ireland. Anglesboro is in the parish of Galbally. Lackendarragh, on the opposite side of the Boro Road, is in Kilbehenny. In the midst of the Great Starvation of the 1840s the road was flanked by a patchwork of fields that decorated, what surveyors and topographers described as brown and black clay soil on a yellow-grey clay subsoil.

Massey Lodge in 2000.

Lackendarragh stretches along the valley to Knockaceol, after which comes Glenacurrane and Geeragh, then Garryvurragha, Castlequarter, and the village of Kilbehenny. Among the townlands to the north-east of Kilbehenny are Behanagh, Carrigeen, Loughananna and Brackbaun. These townlands were the property of Lord Kingston.

The Masseys had acquired their position of supremacy as a consequence of Hugh Massey's role in suppressing the locals nearby at Duntyleague, in Cromwellian times. By the 1800s the Massey name could be found on the baptism certificates of Catholic babies, who would soon be bearing arms against the British. William Cleary, son of Michael Cleary and Mary Leary, was baptised on the second of June 1853. His godparents were Denis Lahiff and Ally Massey. Mary Massey did likewise in 1885, when Thomas Cleary, son of Denis Cleary and Mary Condon, was baptised.

The 1830 Tithe Applotment and 1850 Griffiths Valuation records paint a fascinating picture of life under the Galtees. Above St Patrick's Church, nestled in more than 230 acres of plantation, was Lord Massey's residence. The Gallaghers - Daniel, John and Patrick - leased 290 acres, and Jeremiah O'Donnell, another 111 acres of mountain from the Lord, that ran all the way down to the boro road, where Tom Cranith's 24-acre field eyed William Cleary's house and field across the road under Knockaceol.

Alongside Reverend Laurence Power's Chapel was Daniel Gallagher's 22-acre field, and next to him, Robert Lewis. Those with fields along the road, were Roger O'Donnell (27 acres), John Condon (35 acres) and Denis Cleary, whose stone house stood in a one-acre field alongside Michael White's house and field. These days, John Shaughnessy lives in a little cottage next to that Cleary field. These Clearys were cousins of my own ancestors. The remants of a little stone cabin could be seen here in the early 1970s. It has now totally disappeared.

Opposite the church, in the townland of Lackendarragh, William Quain held a substantial lease - around 150 acres. The valley running south from Quain's large holdings took in Knockmagh and Knockaceol and was brimming with fields and tiny cabins. Under Knockaceol, on the southern border of Lackendarragh, the Clearys held 39 acres of arable pasture.

The southern slopes of Knockmagh, about a mile from the Anglesboro crossroad looking from the vicinity of Massey Lodge. The old Tobin cabin is in the trees.

According to Griffiths Valuation, Lackendarragh totalled 1165 acres made up of no less than 66 holdings and as many houses, and more than fifty different family names. Many of the fields were subdivided. When the large holdings of Quain (150 acres), Richard Galvin (Lots 4 + 5A - 60 acres), Thomas Moher (Lot 12A - 97 acres), John Gallagher ( Lot 44 - 49 acres), William Howard (lot 53a - 36 acres), John Howard (Lot 56a - 30 acres), William Cleary (Lot 63A - 32 acres) and the Condons 95 acres (lot 66 a + b) are deducted from the total we're left with approximately 500 acres spread between fifty families.

On the slopes of Knockmagh were the Heddermans - William, Maurice and Michael - and near them, the fields and cabins of John Keily, Patrick Callaghan, Robert Lewis and John Maunsell.

A closer view of what I'm told was the Tobin cabin. I had thought this was a Hedderman cabin. More researcg required!!

A view of the cabin from the Boro Road.

From Knockmagh to Knockaceol according to Griffiths Valuation

Lot 43 …Jeremiah O'Donnell.

Margaret Heelan, John Gallagher, Johanna Maunsell, Joseph Noonan.

Lot 46a - James Keane.

Mary Dannaher, Timothy Hanrahan,Thomas Fitzgerald, William Burns junior, Margaret Burns, Mary Burns,

Lot 53A William Howard,

Lot 54 a b Edmund Howard

Lot 55 a John Howard - b Edmund Howard

Lot 57a + b William O'Brien,

Lot 58 a Patricia Ahern, Alice Ahern, c Thomas Cronin, d Michael Doran,
Lot 59 Alice Ahern,
Lot 60 a David Condon
Lot 61 Michael Daly

Lot 61a Daniel Hanrahan,

Lot 62 a + b Michael Daly

Lot 63 a William Cleary (32 acres)

Lot 64 William Cleary and Michael Daly(6 acres)

Tithe Applotment book 1831 lists Number 54 - 39.1.4 gross acres - 37.2.30 net - of dairy and tillage in the Townland of Knockma, Parish of Kilbehenny, Barony of Costlea as being leased by Patrick and Michael Cleary. I presume allotment Number 54 eventually became Lot 63 (32/2/1) and 64 (6/1/10) as listed above in the Griffiths Valuation of 1850.

The 1849 Land Valuation records for Lackendarragh identify the 32/2/1 field as being farmed by William Cleary with 15 perches designated for a house and office, and the 6/1/10 field as being farmed by William Cleary and Michael Daly. The numbers 63 and 64 are struck out and replaced respectively with numbers 54 and 55. It's likely that these Clearys - William, Michael and Patrick - are brothers.

Lot 65 Michael Staunton

Lot 66 a + b John Condon + Margaret Condon

 

Knockaceol (hill of the music) and the Cleary field below. The records show the Condons as occupying 95 cares, which included most of the left hand portion of Knockaceol.

During the famine, the Kilbehenny Parish Priest, the Rev Thomas Kearney established a relief fund. Among those who contributed financially were : William and Michael Hedderman - 2 pound each, Richard Galvin - 2 pound - Darby O'Donnell - ditto - Tom O'Brien - ditto - David Condon - 1 pound - Edmund Casey - ditto - Thomas Staunton - ditto - Roger Keily - ditto - William Moher - ditto - Laurence Kent - ditto - Patrick Galahoe (sic) - ditto - John Lewis jnr - ditto- Michael Lewis - ditto-

Lesser contributors included:

William Cleary -10 shillings, Michael Daly - ditto - John and Michael Dwyer - ditto - Thomas Kent - ditto - John Cahill - ditto - - John Cahill - ditto - Patrick Barrett - ditto.

Although the Earl of Kingston offered 50 pound to the fund, written correspondence suggests it was never paid. The Countess of Kingston was listed as offering 10 pound, Lord Massey 5 pound and the Honourable James King likewise. The total amount raised was 164 pounds.

All that remains of Lord Kingston's Lodge.

 

Maurice Hanley, his mother Julia, and sister Noelle Hanley in Massey Lodge in the 1960s. Jack Hanley bought the property from his uncle in 1939. His uncle had bought it from Lord Massey in 1911.

 

Paul Kelly from Adelaide provided me with this photo of his mother (1960s) when she lived with the Hanleys in Massey Lodge. The front gates haven't changed.

Hi Phil

Came across your site on 'Lord Massey and the tenants of Anglesboro' and found it extremely interesting. My gggrandfather Patrick William Quain, his wife and 7 children left Limerick 1858 and settled in central NSW. As I am researching my family history (as most other people are doing) was wondering if you have any info similar to that article or if you could point me in the right direction. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Regards

Michele Hinves(nee Quain)
Hobart Tas